# std::basic_string<CharT,Traits,Allocator>::compare

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< cpp‎ | string‎ | basic string

int compare( const basic_string& str ) const; | (1) | (noexcept since C++11) (constexpr since C++20)
int compare( size_type pos1, size_type count1, const basic_string& str ) const; | (2) | (constexpr since C++20)
| (3) |
int compare( size_type pos1, size_type count1, const basic_string& str, size_type pos2, size_type count2 ) const; |  | (until C++14)
int compare( size_type pos1, size_type count1, const basic_string& str, size_type pos2, size_type count2 = npos ) const; |  | (since C++14) (constexpr since C++20)
int compare( const CharT* s ) const; | (4) | (constexpr since C++20)
int compare( size_type pos1, size_type count1, const CharT* s ) const; | (5) | (constexpr since C++20)
int compare( size_type pos1, size_type count1, const CharT* s, size_type count2 ) const; | (6) | (constexpr since C++20)
template< class StringViewLike > int compare( const StringViewLike& t ) const noexcept(/* see below */); | (7) | (since C++17) (constexpr since C++20)
template< class StringViewLike > int compare( size_type pos1, size_type count1, const StringViewLike& t ) const; | (8) | (since C++17) (constexpr since C++20)
template< class StringViewLike > int compare( size_type pos1, size_type count1, const StringViewLike& t, size_type pos2, size_type count2 = npos) const; | (9) | (since C++17) (constexpr since C++20)

Compares two character sequences.

1) Compares this string to str.
2) Compares a `[`pos1`,` pos1 + count1`)` substring of this string to str.

- If count1 > size() - pos1, the substring is `[`pos1`,` size()`)`.

3) Compares a `[`pos1`,` pos1 + count1`)` substring of this string to a substring `[`pos2`,` pos2 + count2`)` of str.

- If count1 > size() - pos1, the first substring is `[`pos1`,` size()`)`.
- If count2 > str.size() - pos2, the second substring is `[`pos2`,` str.size()`)`.

4) Compares this string to the null-terminated character sequence beginning at the character pointed to by s with length Traits::length(s).
5) Compares a `[`pos1`,` pos1 + count1`)` substring of this string to the null-terminated character sequence beginning at the character pointed to by s with length Traits::length(s).

- If count1 > size() - pos1, the substring is `[`pos1`,` size()`)`.

6) Compares a `[`pos1`,` pos1 + count1`)` substring of this string to the characters in the range `[`s`,` s + count2`)`. The characters in `[`s`,` s + count2`)` may include null characters.

- If count1 > size() - pos1, the substring is `[`pos1`,` size()`)`.

7-9) Implicitly converts t to a string view sv as if by std::basic_string_view<CharT, Traits> sv = t;, then
7) compares this string to sv;
8) compares a `[`pos1`,` pos1 + count1`)` substring of this string to sv, as if by std::basic_string_view<CharT, Traits>(*this).substr(pos1, count1).compare(sv);
9) compares a `[`pos1`,` pos1 + count1`)` substring of this string to a substring `[`pos2`,` pos2 + count2`)` of sv, as if by std::basic_string_view<CharT, Traits>(*this)
.substr(pos1, count1).compare(sv.substr(pos2, count2)).
These overloads participate in overload resolution only if std::is_convertible_v<const StringViewLike&,
std::basic_string_view<CharT, Traits>> is true and std::is_convertible_v<const StringViewLike&, const CharT*> is false..

A character sequence consisting of count1 characters starting at data1 is compared to a character sequence consisting of count2 characters starting at data2 as follows:

- First, calculate the number of characters to compare, as if by size_type rlen = std::min(count1, count2).
- Then compare the sequences by calling Traits::compare(data1, data2, rlen). For standard strings this function performs character-by-character lexicographical comparison. If the result is zero (the character sequences are equal so far), then their sizes are compared as follows:

Condition | Result | Return value
--- | --- | ---
`Traits::compare(data1, data2, rlen) < 0` | data1 is less than data2 | <0
`Traits::compare(data1, data2, rlen) == 0` | size1 < size2 | data1 is less than data2 | <0
size1 == size2 | data1 is equal to data2 | ​0​
size1 > size2 | data1 is greater than data2 | >0
`Traits::compare(data1, data2, rlen) > 0` | data1 is greater than data2 | >0

### Parameters

str | - | other string to compare to
s | - | pointer to the character string to compare to
count1 | - | number of characters of this string to compare
pos1 | - | position of the first character in this string to compare
count2 | - | number of characters of the given string to compare
pos2 | - | position of the first character of the given string to compare
t | - | object (convertible to std::basic_string_view) to compare to

### Return value

- Negative value if *this appears before the character sequence specified by the arguments, in lexicographical order.
- Zero if both character sequences compare equivalent.
- Positive value if *this appears after the character sequence specified by the arguments, in lexicographical order.

### Exceptions

The overloads taking parameters named pos1 or pos2 throws std::out_of_range if the argument is out of range.

7)
`noexcept` specification:
noexcept(std::is_nothrow_convertible_v<const T&, std::basic_string_view<CharT, Traits>>)
8,9) Throws anything thrown by the conversion to std::basic_string_view.

If an exception is thrown for any reason, this function has no effect (strong exception safety guarantee).

### Possible implementation

overload (1)
    template<class CharT, class Traits, class Alloc>
    int std::basic_string<CharT, Traits, Alloc>::compare
        (const std::basic_string& s) const noexcept
    {
        size_type lhs_sz = size();
        size_type rhs_sz = s.size();
        int result = traits_type::compare(data(), s.data(), std::min(lhs_sz, rhs_sz));
        if (result != 0)
            return result;
        if (lhs_sz < rhs_sz)
            return -1;
        if (lhs_sz > rhs_sz)
            return 1;
        return 0;
    }

### Notes

For the situations when three-way comparison is not required, std::basic_string provides the usual relational operators (`<`, `<=`, `==`, `>`, etc).

By default (with the default std::char_traits), this function is not locale-sensitive. See std::collate::compare for locale-aware three-way string comparison.

### Example

Run this code

    #include <cassert>
    #include <iomanip>
    #include <iostream>
    #include <string>
    #include <string_view>

    void print_compare_result(std::string_view str1,
                              std::string_view str2,
                              int compare_result)
    {
        if (compare_result < 0)
            std::cout << std::quoted(str1) << " comes before "
                      << std::quoted(str2) << ".\n";
        else if (compare_result > 0)
            std::cout << std::quoted(str2) << " comes before "
                      << std::quoted(str1) << ".\n";
        else
            std::cout << std::quoted(str1) << " and "
                      << std::quoted(str2) << " are the same.\n";
    }

    int main()
    {
        std::string batman{"Batman"};
        std::string superman{"Superman"};
        int compare_result{0};

        // 1) Compare with other string
        compare_result = batman.compare(superman);
        std::cout << "1) ";
        print_compare_result("Batman", "Superman", compare_result);

        // 2) Compare substring with other string
        compare_result = batman.compare(3, 3, superman);
        std::cout << "2) ";
        print_compare_result("man", "Superman", compare_result);

        // 3) Compare substring with other substring
        compare_result = batman.compare(3, 3, superman, 5, 3);
        std::cout << "3) ";
        print_compare_result("man", "man", compare_result);

        // Compare substring with other substring
        // defaulting to end of other string
        assert(compare_result == batman.compare(3, 3, superman, 5));

        // 4) Compare with char pointer
        compare_result = batman.compare("Superman");
        std::cout << "4) ";
        print_compare_result("Batman", "Superman", compare_result);

        // 5) Compare substring with char pointer
        compare_result = batman.compare(3, 3, "Superman");
        std::cout << "5) ";
        print_compare_result("man", "Superman", compare_result);

        // 6) Compare substring with char pointer substring
        compare_result = batman.compare(0, 3, "Superman", 5);
        std::cout << "6) ";
        print_compare_result("Bat", "Super", compare_result);
    }

Output:

    1) "Batman" comes before "Superman".
    2) "Superman" comes before "man".
    3) "man" and "man" are the same.
    4) "Batman" comes before "Superman".
    5) "Superman" comes before "man".
    6) "Bat" comes before "Super".

### Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR | Applied to | Behavior as published | Correct behavior
--- | --- | --- | ---
LWG 5 | C++98 | the parameter count2 of overload (6) had a default argument npos | default argument removed, split to overloads (5) and (6)
LWG 847 | C++98 | there was no exception safety guarantee | added strong exception safety guarantee
LWG 2946 | C++17 | overload (7) caused ambiguity in some cases | avoided by making it a template
P1148R0 | C++17 | noexcept for overload (7) was accidentally dropped by the resolution of LWG2946 | restored

### See also

operator==operator!=operator<operator>operator<=operator>=operator<=> (removed in C++20)(removed in C++20)(removed in C++20)(removed in C++20)(removed in C++20)(C++20) | lexicographically compares two strings (function template)
substr | returns a substring (public member function)
collate | defines lexicographical comparison and hashing of strings (class template)
strcoll | compares two strings in accordance to the current locale (function)
lexicographical_compare | returns true if one range is lexicographically less than another (function template)
compare | compares two views (public member function of `std::basic_string_view<CharT,Traits>`)

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